held up in rear, stayed on from 3 out, never going pace to reach leaders
keen hold, chased winner 2nd until driven and weakened 2 out
keen hold and held up in touch, smooth headway on bit to track leading pair approaching 2 out, switched left to challenge and mistake last, weakened flat
made all, switched right and pressed last, driven out flat, comfortably
in touch, ridden 4 out, soon weakened
chased leaders, ridden after 4th, weakened 4 out
keen hold and steadied rear, well behind 3 out
in touch, weakened after 4 out
tracked winner to 2nd, stayed prominent, chased winner again 2 out, one pace and no impression flat
always behind
Nonrunner
The shortlist contains Cantgeton, Flame Phoenix and Space Cowboy. The selection gets the vote as he will not lack for fitness and is now on the mark from which he won at Bangor last September, so is entitled to go well. Space Cowboy rates a big danger from a stable that had a winner here yesterday. He looked set to defy a six pounds rise, and bring up a hat-trick of wins, when falling at Fontwell last time. He could still be on a winning mark. Borora is showing a solid level of form but the handicapper does not seem prepared to relent. Calatagan won this race last year from a six-pounds lower mark, although he has not won since. Chockdee and Reiziger are both course and distance winners but the latter has not raced for 587 days. The former is now back to the mark from which he won here, so can be fancied on that basis and holds claims. Martin Pipe's Cantgeton will not lack for fitness although he has been beaten from lower marks in handicaps on his last two starts. My Last Bean has been beaten from his current mark also, while Constantine is now just a pound above the mark from which he won at Fontwell in March when equipped with first-time blinkers, but there is no headgear on today. Transit remains seven pounds higher than when he won at Sandown in March, while Jockser is weighted up to his best, and Leopold is too far out of the weights to be fancied. This returns us to the selection, which is Flame Phoenix.
Borora 20-1 (11-7) Mid-division, headway 3 out, ridden to chase leaders next, kept on same pace approaching last, 3rd of 18, 4l behind Buena Vista (11-7) at Market Rasen 2m 1f hcp hdl 0-145 (B) gd in Jul.
Calatagan (IRE) 25-1 (10-4) Prominent and keen, led 3rd, mistake and soon headed 4 out, ridden and hit next, weakened after 2 out, 7th of 13, 15l behind Genghis (10-11) at Ayr 2m hcp hdl (A) gd in Apr.
Chockdee (FR) 4-1 (11-6) Held up and keen, headway approaching 3 out, in 4th when blundered 2 out, soon weakened, 5th of 12, 13l behind Queen Soraya (10-13) at Market Rasen 2m 3f nov hdl (D) gd in Apr.
Cantgeton (IRE) 13-2 (11-7) Soon in touch, headway 7th to chase leaders, chased winner from 4 out, ridden 2 out, weakened approaching last, 3rd of 18, 4 1/2l behind Mouseski (10-8) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-120 (D) gd.
My Last Bean (IRE) 14-1 (11-6) Towards rear, weakened after 5th, 9th of 15, 34l behind Cool Spice (11-6) at N Abbot 2m 3f hcp hdl 0-130 (C) gd in May.
Flame Phoenix (USA) 40-1 (10-12) Chased leaders, lost place approaching 4 out, soon behind, 7th of 11, 20l behind Crathorne (10-2) at Wetherby 2m hcp hdl 0-140 (B) gf.
Constantine 33-1 (10-1) Held up in touch, ridden and lost place after 5th, no danger after, 7th of 15, 18l behind Darrias (10-10) at Stratford 2m hcp hdl 0-135 (C) gd in May.
Transit 14-1 (11-5) Never a factor, towards rear when bad mistake last, 17th of 21, well behind The Boys In Green (10-9) at Punchestown 2m hcp chs 0-140 sft in Apr.
Space Cowboy (IRE) 11-2 (10-7) Mid-division, headway on bit and chased leader 3 out, going well when slight lead and overjumped and fell at the last in race won by Fait Le Jojo (11-7) at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp hdl 0-135 (C) gd, 11 ran.
Reiziger (FR) 33-1 (9-11) Prominent, hit 7th, went 2nd 10th, led 4 out, not fluent next, headed 2 out, weakened last, 3rd of 21, 10l behind St Pirran (10-1) at Cheltenham 2m hcp chs Grd 3 (A) gd in Mar '04.
Leopold (SLO) 7-1 (10-0) Held up, headway after 6th, ridden next, stayed on same pace from 2 out, 4th of 11, 11l behind Fire Dragon (11-10) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-120 (D) gf in Sept.
Jockser (IRE) 10-1 (11-4) Mid-division, ridden and headway after 7th, soon weakened, 7th of 18, 12l behind Mouseski (10-8) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-120 (D) gd.
